7 first-letter examples that get replies

On Lettie the first letter usually starts in Discover — you read a letter someone released and reply to it. So opening with "Hi, I'm 28 and I live in Seoul…" is already off: the other person is waiting for a reaction to what they wrote.

The structure that gets replies (three paragraphs is enough)

1. Pick one sentence from their letter and react to it. Proof you read it, and the reason you picked this envelope.
2. One matching scene from your side. A scene instead of a bio — age and job come out on their own later.
3. One question that's easy to answer. "What" is easier than "why".

Seven examples

1. To a letter about weather or seasons

I stopped at the line about Hanoi rain being short and heavy. Here in Seoul it's the tail end of monsoon, so it's lukewarm rain all day and everyone buys convenience-store umbrellas instead of ponchos. What colour are most of the ponchos there?

2. To a letter about food

I was jealous of noodles for breakfast. I mostly skip breakfast, and on the days I don't it's a convenience-store rice triangle. Do you make the noodles at home or buy them from a place in the alley?

3. To a letter about being tired of work or study

"After the exam I didn't want to do anything" — I could have written that line last month. My version is riding the subway loop for no reason. What's the first thing you do when an exam ends?

4. To a letter about music or films

You said you listen to that album on the bus. I play the same album while doing dishes, and for some reason my hands always slow down on track three. Which track is yours?

5. To a letter about loneliness or boredom

The line about not talking to anyone all weekend stayed with me the longest. I've had weekends like that — it's why I installed this app. Was there one moment that weekend that was still good?

6. To a letter about travel

I laughed at "the Lisbon hills are steeper than they look". I thought exactly that in Gamcheon village in Busan. Is there something about that city you remember by smell rather than by photo?

7. To a very short letter

Your short letter is actually what caught my eye — I have days when long writing feels heavy too. Tell me one more line about what today was like.

Lines to avoid

• "Hi! I'm ___. I want to be friends." — it shows you didn't read their letter.
• Three or more questions — leave one. With several, people answer none.
• "Why do you think that?" — questions that demand an explanation feel heavy. Use what / when / where.
• Contact details or social handles in the first letter — in 2.0 there's no need: the conversation continues in the app, and letters take their time.

Can I write with translation on?

Yes. They read in their language. To translate well, keep one idea per sentence and skip idioms and slang. "That made me laugh" travels across 28 languages; "lol" doesn't always.

After you send, the envelope lifts off the globe. It takes hours to land, and the reply arrives on their morning. In between, you don't have to do anything at all.